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* ADogNamedCat: Or in this case, a dog named "Squirrel"
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** Though Squirrel mainly avoids humans, she does end up befriending a few friendly ones such as a boy named Mathias and an elderly woman named Susan [[spoiler:who adopts her]].
* LookBothWays: Trying to hunt a squirrel, Moon and Squirrel cross a road only to get hit by a car. [[spoiler:Moon dies on impact]]. The owners of the car end up temporarily adopting Squirrel, however they're very neglectful and end up abandoning her.
* LookBothWays: Trying to hunt a squirrel, Moon and Squirrel cross a road only to get hit by a car. [[spoiler:Moon dies on impact]]. The owners of the car end up temporarily adopting Squirrel, however they're very neglectful and end up abandoning her.
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** Though Squirrel mainly avoids humans, she does end up befriending a few friendly ones such as a boy named Mathias Matthias and an elderly woman named Susan [[spoiler:who adopts her]].
* LookBothWays: Trying to hunt a squirrel, Moon and Squirrel cross a road only to get hit by a car. [[spoiler:Moon dies on impact]]. The owners of the car end up temporarily adopting Squirrel,however but they're very neglectful and end up abandoning her.her after keeping her for the summer.
* LookBothWays: Trying to hunt a squirrel, Moon and Squirrel cross a road only to get hit by a car. [[spoiler:Moon dies on impact]]. The owners of the car end up temporarily adopting Squirrel,
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* NoHuggingNoKissing: No romance is present in the narrative, save for the married couple that picks up Squirrel and Bone for a day and the parents of the family that take Squirrel as a summer dog. Breeding instincts and heat are never alluded to at all, even though Squirrel isn't spayed until halfway through the story (likely because the book is aimed at children).
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* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Because the story is realistic and limited to Squirrel's perspective, the ultimate fates of characters who exit her life aren't shown. Her mother Stream leaves one day and never returns, her brother Bone is separated from her when two women take him away and leave her behind, and she never sees Yellow Man or Matthias again.
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* EarnYourHappyEnding: After going through an entire lifetime of hardship where she had to struggle to survive, [[spoiler: at the end of the book Squirrel is adopted by a kind old woman who will love and take care of her for the rest of her days.]]
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* InformedConversation: This is how animals communicate in the novel. It's mentioned in the narration that they're communicating, but the only dialogue shown comes from the few human characters.
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* AbandonTheDisabled: Stream abandoned her small son who wouldn't be able to walk. He died a hour after birth.
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* AnimalTalk: Played with. Squirrel's internal monologue implies that animals talk to each other, but the book is in first-person and the only dialogue comes from humans.
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* AnimalTalk: Played with. Squirrel's internal monologue implies that animals talk to each other, but the book is in first-person and the only dialogue comes from humans. Squirrel can also understand foxes but not cats, suggesting canines can understand one another.
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* DeathOfAChild: Squirrel's mother gave birth to Bone, Squirrel, one runt, and two stillborn. The runt lasted under a hour because Stream ignored him.
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* DeathOfAChild: Squirrel's mother gave birth to Bone, Squirrel, one runt, and two stillborn.stillborns. The runt lasted under a hour because Stream ignored him.
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[[quoteright:318:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/a_dogs_life.jpg]]
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* MissingMom: Stream left one day and didn't come back. It's unknown if she died or [[ParentalAbandonment just ran off]].
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* MissingMom: Stream left one day and didn't come back. It's unknown if she died died, was captured, or [[ParentalAbandonment just ran off]].
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Squirrel was born in an abandoned shed by a vacation house occupied by many feral cats, mice, and other small animals. Squirrel and her brother Bone were the only survivors of her litter of five. They live happily with their mother, Stream, until danger causes their mother to abandon them. This is the start of Squirrel's long and difficult life.
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Squirrel was is born in an abandoned shed by a vacation house occupied by many feral cats, mice, and other small animals. Squirrel and her brother Bone were are the only survivors of her litter of five. They live happily with their mother, Stream, until danger causes their mother to abandon them. This is the start of Squirrel's long and difficult life.
life as a feral dog.
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* ShownTheirResearch: The writer worked with shelters to make a book about an accurate stray dog experience.
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* ShownTheirResearch: ShownTheirWork: The writer worked with shelters to make a book about an accurate stray dog experience.
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* AnimalNamingConventions: Mother dogs name their children after things that are important to them.
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* ArtisticLicenseAnimalCare: Subverted with the dog's diet. They scavange from trash bins for most of their food, which leaves them malnourished. It's also some foods, like chocolate, make them ill.
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* ArtisticLicenseAnimalCare: Subverted with the dog's diet. They scavange from trash bins for most of their food, which leaves them malnourished. It's also shown that some foods, like chocolate, make them ill.
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* ShownTheirResearch: The writer worked with shelters to make a book about an accurate stray dog experience.
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* LookBothWays: Trying to hunt a squirrel, Moon and Squirrel cross a road only to get hit by a car. [[spoiler:Moon dies on impact]]. The owner's of the car end up temporarily adopting Squirrel, however they're very neglectful and end up abandoning her.
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* LookBothWays: Trying to hunt a squirrel, Moon and Squirrel cross a road only to get hit by a car. [[spoiler:Moon dies on impact]]. The owner's owners of the car end up temporarily adopting Squirrel, however they're very neglectful and end up abandoning her.
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* StrayAnimalStory: Deconstructed. Squirrel is born a stray but it's a miserable, lonely life for a dog. Squirrel is constantly in pain, she's always hungry, and she frequently has to avoid humans and other dogs. She's also abused by almost every human she comes across. It isn't until her senior years that she finds happiness [[spoiler:with an old woman who takes her in]].
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* AnimalTalk: Played with. Squirrel's internal monologue implies that animals talk to each other, but the book is in second-person and the only dialogue comes from humans.
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* AnimalTalk: Played with. Squirrel's internal monologue implies that animals talk to each other, but the book is in second-person first-person and the only dialogue comes from humans.humans.
* ArtisticLicenseAnimalCare: Subverted with the dog's diet. They scavange from trash bins for most of their food, which leaves them malnourished. It's also some foods, like chocolate, make them ill.
* ArtisticLicenseAnimalCare: Subverted with the dog's diet. They scavange from trash bins for most of their food, which leaves them malnourished. It's also some foods, like chocolate, make them ill.
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* DeathOfAChild: Squirrel's mother gave birth to Bone, Squirrel, one runt, and two stillborn. The runt lasted under a hour because Stream ignored him.
* EarNotch: Moon gains a tear in her ear after a fight with a group of dogs.
* InterspeciesFriendship:
** As a puppy, Squirrel and her brother befriended a cat called Yellow Man.
** Though Squirrel mainly avoids humans, she does end up befriending a few friendly ones such as a boy named Mathias and an elderly woman named Susan [[spoiler:who adopts her]].
* LookBothWays: Trying to hunt a squirrel, Moon and Squirrel cross a road only to get hit by a car. [[spoiler:Moon dies on impact]]. The owner's of the car end up temporarily adopting Squirrel, however they're very neglectful and end up abandoning her.
* MissingMom: Stream left one day and didn't come back. It's unknown if she died or [[ParentalAbandonment just ran off]].
* EarNotch: Moon gains a tear in her ear after a fight with a group of dogs.
* InterspeciesFriendship:
** As a puppy, Squirrel and her brother befriended a cat called Yellow Man.
** Though Squirrel mainly avoids humans, she does end up befriending a few friendly ones such as a boy named Mathias and an elderly woman named Susan [[spoiler:who adopts her]].
* LookBothWays: Trying to hunt a squirrel, Moon and Squirrel cross a road only to get hit by a car. [[spoiler:Moon dies on impact]]. The owner's of the car end up temporarily adopting Squirrel, however they're very neglectful and end up abandoning her.
* MissingMom: Stream left one day and didn't come back. It's unknown if she died or [[ParentalAbandonment just ran off]].
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''A Dog's Life: The Autobiography of a Stray'' is a novel by Ann M. Martin about a feral dog named Squirrel.
Squirrel was born in an abandoned shed by a vacation house occupied by many feral cats, mice, and other small animals. Squirrel and her brother Bone were the only survivors of her litter of five. They live happily with their mother, Stream, until danger causes their mother to abandon them. This is the start of Squirrel's long and difficult life.
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!!This book contains examples of:
* AnimalTalk: Played with. Squirrel's internal monologue implies that animals talk to each other, but the book is in second-person and the only dialogue comes from humans.
* BadPeopleAbuseAnimals: Subverted. Most of Squirrel's owners are neglectful at best and abusive at worst, however they're not evil.
* ReplacementGoldfish: Squirrel befriends Moon because she looks so much like Bone would have as an adult.
* WhatMeasureIsANonCute: Squirrel is abandoned by the women who took in her brother because she wasn't as cute as Bone.
Squirrel was born in an abandoned shed by a vacation house occupied by many feral cats, mice, and other small animals. Squirrel and her brother Bone were the only survivors of her litter of five. They live happily with their mother, Stream, until danger causes their mother to abandon them. This is the start of Squirrel's long and difficult life.
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!!This book contains examples of:
* AnimalTalk: Played with. Squirrel's internal monologue implies that animals talk to each other, but the book is in second-person and the only dialogue comes from humans.
* BadPeopleAbuseAnimals: Subverted. Most of Squirrel's owners are neglectful at best and abusive at worst, however they're not evil.
* ReplacementGoldfish: Squirrel befriends Moon because she looks so much like Bone would have as an adult.
* WhatMeasureIsANonCute: Squirrel is abandoned by the women who took in her brother because she wasn't as cute as Bone.
